Referring to FIGS. 1A-1E, in connection with a nacelle 100 of an aircraft that is used to house an engine, a door opening system (DOS) and Hold Open Rod (HOR) system are used to provide a technician with access to the engine. Access is achieved by opening one of several cowls which make up the nacelle 100. As an example, the nacelle 100 may include a fan cowl 101, a thrust reverser 102, an inlet cowl 103, etc. To open, e.g., the thrust reverser 102, a technician: (1) activates an actuator 104 of the DOS until the thrust reverser 102 is open to its maximum angle position, (2) unstows a HOR 108 from a stowed position 106, (3) extends the HOR 108 to a deployed position, (4) attaches the HOR 108 to an engine fan case 110, and (5) lowers thrust reverser 102 to its resting angle position, thereby resting the weight of the thrust reverser 102 on the HOR 108. In FIG. 1E, the portion of the nacelle 100 denoted by circle A is shown in a blown-up view once the thrust reverser 102 has been lowered to the resting position.
To close the thrust reverser 102, the technician: (1) relieves the weight of the thrust reverser 102 off the HOR 108 when the HOR 108 is in the deployed position, (2) disengages a locking mechanism of the HOR 108 to disengage the HOR 108 before being able to collapse the HOR 108, (3) restores the HOR 108 to the stowed position 106, and (4) closes the thrust reverser 102.
The above opening and closing procedures require the technician to carry out a number of steps in a predefined order, leading to the potential for human error if the steps are executed improperly or out-of-order. Failure to carry out the steps in an appropriate manner can potentially result in an impairment of the nacelle 100.